| Author |  Topic  |
Sniff
Germany
604 Posts
Joined: 03 May 2006
Status: offline |  Posted - 14 Jan 2009 : 08:56:50  
| quote:
Originally posted by Robert5988
quote:
Elderly friends of ours saw the item on the news today and asked "What happens if you dont know how to go online or do not have a computer?" I presume the flight ticket agen would help in those circumstances
I think that is covered in the website's FAQ.
You have to get friends/agent/library etc to do it for you.
I suspect, certainly initially, the Airline will be able to do it for you at check-in, but they wouldn't give that a lot of publicity.
The agent systems at check-in are private closed networks usually provided by SITA or some other service provider. It's unlikely they'd have access to the internet.quote:
Originally posted by Robert5988
Also there will be Brits living abroad in a country not eligble for Visa waiver who will not have heard of ESTA
I suspect, that they won't turn these people away but that there are contingency plans for 'emergency' clearance.
Robert, visa waiver is dependant upon the passport you hold, not your country of residence. If you hold a British passport it doesn't matter which country you live in, you are still eligible for the visa waiver scheme. Don't forget too that ESTA applies to all visa waiver countries, not just the UK...from what I've seen it's been given a lot more publicity in other countries.[EDIT] upon re-reading this I see the point you're making..if they live in a country not eligible for ESTA, they might not have seen the publicity...true, but their carrier should still make sure they are aware, regardless of where they are flying from.
But I agree with you on the contingency plans. Despite the British Foreign Office claiming people would be 'refused entry and deported' if they hadn't applied for ESTA 72 hours in advance, I can't see that happening practically, certainly not in the first couple of weeks.
What will be interesting is the airlines reaction to this once the ESTA scheme has been running for a couple of weeks. Previously the carriers were responsible for checking the immigration documentation of passengers prior to flying them to USA, and they were also responsible for the cost of repatriation if those documents were shown to be invalid on arrival. Now they have no way of verifying that a passenger has requested and received ESTA authorisation, so I doubt very much they will fly the passenger back at their expense if it proves they didn't get the authorisation and the US won't let them in. |
Keith |
Edited by - Sniff on 14 Jan 2009 09:06:11 |
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Katys Grandad
United Kingdom
2094 Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 14 Jan 2009 : 09:12:30
| | Hopefully it won't be long until we have some first hand experiences of this process but, at the moment, it's far from clear what the situation is. |
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fanwar
9 Posts
Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Status: offline | Posted - 12 Feb 2009 : 00:02:51
| | would be interesting to hear from anyone who has used this and if there is any change to the normal scenario of queeing up at customs with the green slip. did anyone get dragged oaway to the naughty step for not filling in the esta |
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Katys Grandad
United Kingdom
2094 Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 12 Feb 2009 : 05:05:01
| I think the most common experience is that, at the moment, it's hard to tell the difference. A friend of mine didn't fill in the waiver thinking that it wasn't needed. When he reached the desk the Immigration Officer gave him the forms and waited while he filled them in.
My own experience of US Immigration Officers is that, like society as a whole, they are a mixed bag so absolutely no guarantee another on would do the same. |
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emm
 United Kingdom
1389 Posts
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 12 Feb 2009 : 10:31:36
| | A friend has recently flown from the UK to Miami. She completed the ESTA online and also had to fill the green Visa Waiver form in on the plane. She was told this is because it was her first trip using the ESTA - subsequent trips will mean that she doesn't have to complete the green form. |
emm
http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida-vacation-rental-1582.aspx |
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Lyn
 United Kingdom
895 Posts
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 12 Feb 2009 : 15:17:20
| | We have recently returned from a visit to Orlando and although we had completed the ESTA we still had to fill in the green cards, were told they would run side by side for a while. The girl at the Virgin check in desk asked if we had completed our ESTA, it was never mentioned by anyone else. |
Lyn |
Edited by - Lyn on 12 Feb 2009 15:18:44 |
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Pluto
United Kingdom
407 Posts
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Apr 2009 : 21:28:19
| We flew to Vegas in March and having completed our ESTA's still had to do the green visa waiver form on the plane.
When we checked in at Gatwick (Virgin), we were asked "have you completed your ESTA's?"
Didn't have to show any paperwork in US. Just hand over the passport, visa waiver form and then the usual fingerprints and eye photo. |
Karen |
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Sniff
Germany
604 Posts
Joined: 03 May 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 04 May 2009 : 22:14:07
| We flew in on May 2nd and still had to do the green visa waiver form, which were supplied by Virgin at check-in time. The form appears to have changed slightly in the questions asked - I cannot previously recall having to enter the date my passport was issued, only when it expires, but maybe that's just my brain. But some definitely have changed - two of the questions relate to a visa (where and when was your visa issued) which, as the form is a visa waiver form, is a bit pointless. We asked the immigration guy about ESTA and he just shrugged and said "Your guess is as good as mine"
Also the finger-printing was a bit odd. Some desks had the old "single finger" scanners and people were just asked for left index, right index. Other desks (inclduing the one we used) had the newer scanners with larger scan area. But even here there is no consistency. My wife and I went to the desk together, and she was asked to scan only her right four fingers. Me, I had to scan all 10.
I honestly don't think the immigration officers themselves know what's really going on, let alone anyone else. |
Keith |
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pieman790
United Kingdom
4015 Posts
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Status: offline | |
The Bodger
United Kingdom
20 Posts
Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2009 : 20:24:27
| | Travelled to Florida on 26th April. Did ESTA online but still had to fill out green visa waiver form on plane as they said ESTA is not up and running yet.But don't go without doing it online as it might be working when any body else goes. There is some mistakes on the visa waiver form they give you on the plane but they did'nt tell us that till we nearly got there and had them filled in.One is 'city where visa issued' you leave this blank. |
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Robert5988
United Kingdom
1814 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2009 : 21:59:18
| quote:
There is some mistakes on the visa waiver form they give you on the plane but they did'nt tell us that till we nearly got there and had them filled in.One is 'city where visa issued' you leave this blank.
Unless there have been changes on the Visa waiver form there is no such question! see copy of form here.
http://www.orlando-guide.info/forums/topic_14753_3.asp
Are you sure you were not filling in the form for those with a Visa? |
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Dads_Taxi
 United Kingdom
111 Posts
Joined: 27 Jan 2009
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2009 : 22:19:40
| | I'll back Bodger up, that question was most definitely on the green visa waiver forms we were given by US Airways at beginning of April. I did realise it should be left blank though! |
Dave. |
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emm
United Kingdom
1389 Posts
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2009 : 22:28:29
| | The most recent green form I completed (at the end of April) had the question about where my visa was issued in the place where they would normally ask which city you had boarded the plane in. There was also a space for entering an email address - that's not been there before! |
emm
http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida-vacation-rental-1582.aspx |
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Robert5988
United Kingdom
1814 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2009 : 09:34:26
| It appears that they have changed the form then.
It seems strange that there is a question about the issue of a Visa on a Visa waiver form???
I wonder if it is a misprint on a batch. |
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Katys Grandad
United Kingdom
2094 Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2009 : 10:57:01
| | I noticed the e-mail address box when I flew a few weeks ago. I think I'm right in saying that it was asking for an e-mail where you could be contacted where you were staying in the US so I'd be surprised if all that many people could actually supply that. |
Edited by - Katys Grandad on 15 May 2009 11:50:24 |
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phaedra
United Kingdom
493 Posts
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 04 Jun 2009 : 22:59:24
| We flew from Newcastle on May 10th with Thomson, still had the Visa Waiver forms to complete in-flight but no email question on them.
And (yet again) no Premium cabin on the return flight, so 2 weeks of wet weather and now covered in bruises after being sardined into about 30" :( |
Jeff |
Edited by - phaedra on 04 Jun 2009 23:00:46 |
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Robert5988
United Kingdom
1814 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 18:20:17
| Flew yesterday from Manchester and the Waiver form(I94W) handed out at the desk was the 'old' style(dated10/04) with no question about 'where was the Visa issued/email address'.
The same old style was given out on the plane(AA) and there was a pile at immigration that were also the same.
So I assume that the batch people have seen(see above) were a mistake and have been withdrawn????? |
Edited by - Robert5988 on 10 Jun 2009 18:22:34 |
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Sniff
Germany
604 Posts
Joined: 03 May 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 11 Jun 2009 : 09:03:10
| quote:
Originally posted by Robert5988
Flew yesterday from Manchester and the Waiver form(I94W) handed out at the desk was the 'old' style(dated10/04) with no question about 'where was the Visa issued/email address'.
The same old style was given out on the plane(AA) and there was a pile at immigration that were also the same.
So I assume that the batch people have seen(see above) were a mistake and have been withdrawn?????
Robert who did you fly with? We flew from Manchester with Virgin in May and got the 'new' style forms handed out at the check-in desk and on the plane itself. As you say it's possible Virgin handed these out by mistake and have now corrected it. |
Keith |
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Robert5988
United Kingdom
1814 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 11 Jun 2009 : 09:37:14
| I flew with AA.
I doubt if it was a 'Virgin mistake'!! Keith as I believe Katys Grandad usually flies AA or BA and he had one of the new variety.
I assumed the new form was an error because you would not have applied for a Visa if travelling on a waiver. |
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Albert the Frog
 United Kingdom
561 Posts
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 11 Jun 2009 : 10:18:19
| | We recently flew via Chicago and because we dawdle we were the only ones at immigration(i kid you not)-as a result we were chatting to the IO and he said that the two systems would run in tandem for 2 more weeks-from 24th May-so if he's correct the green cards should be dropped any time now-anybody got any bang up to date news? |
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Visas you fill on plane
